18 February 2020: Scatec Solar and partners have grid connected and reached commercial operation for 86 MW of the 258 MW solar power complex in Upington, South Africa. The 86 MW facility, known as Sirius, is expected to produce 217 GWh and will lead to the abatement of more than 180,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

“We are pleased to reach another milestone with the grid connection of our fourth solar power plant in South Africa, with a combined capacity of 276 MW. South Africa continues to be a very important market for Scatec Solar, and we are developing several interesting project opportunities both within the utility scale segment as well as our container based solar solution – Release”, says Raymond Carlsen, CEO of Scatec Solar.

The three projects in Upington was awarded in April 2015 in the fourth bidding round under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPP) in South Africa. Scatec Solar owns 42%, Norfund holds 18%, the surrounding Community of Upington 5% and H1 Holdings, a South African Black investor holds the remaining 35% of the equity.  The two remaining solar plants totalling 172 MW are expected to reach commercial operation within the next few months.

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For further information, please contact:

Ingrid Aarsnes, VP Communication & IR, tel: +47 950 38 364

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

About Scatec Solar: Scatec Solar is an integrated independent solar power producer, delivering affordable, rapidly deployable and sustainable clean energy worldwide. A long- term player, Scatec Solar develops, builds, owns, operates and maintains solar power plants and has an installation track record of more than 1.3 GW. The company has a total of 1.9 GW in operation and under construction on four continents.

With an established global presence and a significant project pipeline, the company is targeting a capacity of 4.5 GW in operation and under construction by end of 2021. Scatec Solar is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ‘SSO’. To learn more, visit www.scatecsolar.com.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act

February 2020: Miniplast Limited, a Ghana-based plastic manufacturing and recycling company, has signed a contract to buy electricity from a 704 kWp grid-tied solar photovoltaic plant that will be installed on their factory roofs in the Spintex Industrial Area of the capital city Accra. The plant will be installed and operated by Stella Futura Ltd under a Power Sales Agreement signed between the three partners. The investment will be made through a local project company majority owned by Empower Invest, the impact investment fund managed by Empower New Energy (EmNEW).

Miniplast is a leading manufacturer of industrial and household plastic products with over 30 years of experience in the sector. The scalable 704 kW solar PV installation, which is expected to be commissioned in July 2020, forms part of Miniplast’s sustainability initiatives to be more environmentally-friendly and reduce plastic waste in Ghana. Through this renewable energy contract, Miniplast, Stella and EmNEW will contribute to the annual generation of over 1100 MWh of clean energy, with an estimated 800 tonnes of CO2 saved per year – equal to about 24 000 tons of CO2 during the first 30 year of operations. The investment will further generate about 50 job years during construction and operation.

Nadim Ghanem-Pares, Deputy Managing Director of Miniplast Limited, says “We’re excited to install one of the largest industrial and commercial solar PV systems in Ghana. This project will not only lead to increased use of clean and reliable power, but it will also reduce our diesel consumption and lower our electricity costs. Furthermore, this will be a flagship project to promote the use of renewable energy within the Spintex Industrial enclave of Accra. Miniplast Limited will continue its investment in plastic recycling. We installed a third recycling line at the factory in the beginning of February, increasing our capacity to become the largest plastic recycler in Ghana. Miniplast’s dedication to environmentally sustainable initiatives first started with introducing a wide range of products created with 100% recycled materials to reduce the amount of plastic litter in communities, while also creating economic opportunities in lower income neighbourhoods.”

Francis Asante, CEO of Stella Futura Ghana Limited, said the contract demonstrates Stella’s leadership in structuring solar solutions to ease the burden of solar energy uptake by the private sector. He encouraged industry to take similar bold steps to incorporate solar technology into their energy consumption mix to reduce their reliance on the national grid, reduce energy costs, and contribute to a cleaner environment.

Terje Osmundsen, CEO of Empower New Energy, said the project is the result of a fruitful partnership between Miniplast as a forward-looking energy user, Stella as an innovative technology solution provider, and EmNEW’s unique impact investment platform: “By reducing the time and resources required to finance projects of this size, this project shows how our investment fund enables a faster uptake of local clean energy production in Sub-Saharan Africa". 

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About STELLA Ltd: STELLA is a solar energy company providing grid-tied and off-grid energy solutions. The company combines its unique knowledge of energy with smart technology, including state-of-the-art energy storage, to provide energy solutions to commercial and industrial clients. It also invests in social impact projects, including solar solutions for hospitals and schools in urban and rural areas of Ghana. Headquartered in Sweden, Stella has an operational focus in sub-Sahara Africa with a local presence in Ghana as its regional hub.

About Empower New Energy (EmNEW): Empower New Energy is an award-winning impact fund manager of the impact investment fund Empower Invest, investing in small and medium-scale renewable energy projects. This is Europe’s firstrenewable equity impact investment platform with a focus on Africa. The fund’s investors are Norfund (Norway’s development fund for emerging markets),  ElectriFI (The electrification financing initiative, funded by the EU) and a group of private impact investors. EmNEWs offices are in Oslo (Norway) and Nairobi (Kenya), with a representative office in Accra (Ghana).

About Miniplast Ltd: MINIPLAST LIMITED is an ISO 9001:2015 certified company and an industry leader for manufacturing industrial and household items. Everyone trusts in the sophisticated functionality, reliability, and interesting colour variety of their products. With over 30 years of experience, Miniplast Limited has repeatedly set the benchmark standards for the plastic industry. They are going to use their advanced technologies, skilled engineers, and dedicated employees, to now set high standards for the recycling of plastics.

18 February 2020: The off-grid solar industry has grown into a $1.75 billion annual market, providing lighting and other energy services to 420 million users and remains on a solid growth curve, a new World Bank Group and GOGLA report shows.

The 2020 Off-Grid Solar Market Trends report finds that the industry has made tremendous strides in the past decade. Since 2017, revenues from the off-grid solar industry continue to rapidly grow, increasing by 30 percent annually. To date, more than 180 million off-grid solar units have been sold worldwide and the sector saw $1.5 billion in investments since 2012. 

With 840 million people still lacking access to electricity, the growth of the off-grid solar industry is critical to meeting the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG7) for universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy by 2030.

“The off-grid solar industry is instrumental for achieving universal electricity access,” said Riccardo Puliti, Global Director, Energy and Extractive Industries and Regional Director, Infrastructure, Africa, at the World Bank. “We are scaling up our support to client countries by helping them leverage this potential through innovative and financially sustainable solutions,” he added.

According to the report, the sector would need an additional boost of up to $11 billion in financing. More specifically, the sector would need to grow at an accelerated rate of 13 percent, with up to $7.7 billion in external investment to companies and up to $3.4 billion of public funding to bridge the affordability gap.

“Only by crowding in commercial finance at scale can we reach the target of achieving universal access by 2030,” said Paulo de Bolle, Senior Director, Global Financial Institutions Group for IFC. “We are eager to work with our local bank partners in the more mature off-grid markets where commercial debt can drive the next stage of market growth.”

Trends demonstrate that companies are moving into new geographies and underserved markets as established markets become more saturated. These companies are also shifting towards larger, higher-margin solar home system sales in response to growing consumer demand for appliances and back-up systems.

“This report is another confirmation of the significant impact off-grid solar has already achieved, and the massive opportunity that remains going forward,” said Koen Peters, Executive Director of GOGLA. “The Market Trends Report shares details on where we stand, and where we should be heading next.”

The report summary of the biennial flagship report, which is published by the World Bank Group’s Lighting Global Program and the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA), in Nairobi at the Global Off-Grid Solar Forum and Expo where President Uhuru Kenyatta welcomed more than 1200 participants today. The full report will be available in March, 2020.

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About the Market Trends Report: The report summary of the biennial flagship report, which is published by the World Bank Group’s Lighting Global Program in cooperation with GOGLA and support from the Energy Sector Management Assistant Program (ESMAP).

About Lighting Global: Lighting Global is the World Bank Group’s initiative to rapidly increase access to off-grid solar energy for the 840 million people living without electricity world-wide. Lighting Global – managed by IFC and the World Bank – works with manufacturers, distributors, governments, and other development partners to build and grow the modern off-grid solar energy market. Our programs are funded with support from ESMAP, The Public – Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF), The Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land, and Sea (IMELS), and the IKEA Foundation.

About GOGLA: GOGLA is the global association for the off-grid solar energy industry. Established in 2012, GOGLA now represents over 170 members as a neutral, independent, not-for-profit industry association. Its mission is to help its members build sustainable markets, delivering quality, affordable products and services to as many households, businesses and communities as possible across the developing world. The products and solutions that GOGLA members sell transform lives. They improve health and education, create jobs and income opportunities and help consumers save money. To find out more, go to www.gogla.org. 

20 February 2020: Leading off-grid solar energy companies, governments, development partners, and investors this week agreed to further grow the off-grid solar market. The renewed commitment will accelerate progress towards universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy by 2030.

More than 1,250 participants from 75 countries attending this year’s Global Off-Grid Solar Forum and Expo (GOGSFE) in Nairobi called for more collaboration and investments to provide sustainable energy for the 840 million people currently living without electricity and an estimated 1 billion people who live with weak grid connections.

This year’s event was co-hosted by the Kenyan Government through the Ministry of Energy and was officially opened by H.E. The President of the Republic of Kenya Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta.

In his keynote speech, President Kenyatta said his government’s off-grid solar access initiative, the Kenya Off-Grid Solar Access Project (KOSAP), which is carried out with support from the World Bank, seeks to provide energy to underserved households and more than 800 public facilities, including schools and health centers, in 14 counties. “To achieve our electrification programme through off-grid solutions, my administration recognizes the importance of partnering with the private sector”, the President continued.

GOGLA’s Executive Director Koen Peters said: “It was a privilege to listen to President Kenyatta’s inspiring speech, encouraging other countries to follow Kenya’s lead in adopting the right policies to scale the off-grid solar market. The massive turnout of this year’s Forum is a testament to the impressive growth of the sector. The new partnerships and deals forged this week will help the industry reach millions of additional households.”

Over 85 exhibitors showcased their products and services at the event, highlighting off-grid solar as a power tool to reduce CO2 emissions, improve health and education, create jobs and income opportunities, helping consumers save money and improving their quality of life.

The conference dialogue was built around the findings of the 2020 Off-Grid Solar Market Trends Report, released at the outset of the meeting. A joint Lighting Global-GOGLA initiative, the report finds that the industry has grown to a USD 1.75 billion market, currently serving 420 million customers.

“It is exciting to see the power of entrepreneurial innovation that has driven these accomplishments," said Russell Sturm, Energy Access Lead for the International Finance Corporation, and one of the lead authors of the report. "With 12 years of experience supporting the market’s rapid ascent, our Lighting Global team will continue working toward the growth of the off-grid solar industry, as we mobilize the commercial finance critical to meeting the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG7) for universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy by 2030,” he said.

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About the Global Off-Grid Solar Forum & Expo: The Global Off-Grid Solar Forum & Expo is the world’s leading meeting of the off-grid solar sector. It is an initiative of the global association for the off-grid solar energy industry - GOGLA and the World Bank Group’s Lighting Global Program, with support from the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP). Find out more at www.offgridsolarforum.org.

About GOGLA: GOGLA is the global association for the off-grid solar energy industry. Established in 2012, GOGLA now represents over 175 members as a neutral, independent, not-for-profit industry association. Its mission is to help its members build sustainable markets, delivering quality, affordable products and services to as many households, businesses and communities as possible across the developing world. The products and solutions that GOGLA members sell transform lives. They improve health and education, create jobs and income opportunities and help consumers save money. To find out more, go to www.gogla.org.

About Lighting Global: Lighting Global is the World Bank Group’s initiative to rapidly increase access to off-grid solar energy for the 840 million people living without grid electricity world-wide. Lighting Global – managed by IFC and the World Bank – works with manufacturers, distributors, governments, and other development partners to build and grow the modern off-grid solar energy market. Lighting Global programs are funded with support from the Energy Sector Management Assistant Program (ESMAP), The Public – Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF), The Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land, and Sea (IMELS), and the IKEA Foundation. To find out more, go to www.lightingglobal.org.

20 February 2020: Azuri Technologies announced its  Brighter Lives Initiative, aimed at bringing more rural women into the off-grid solar sector.

Azuri hosted its inaugural Women in Solar event at the British High Commission last night, where Azuri CEO Simon Bransfield-Garth launched the new initiative. The initiative will provide employment and training to 250 new female recruits.

Women currently make up 35% of Azuri’s rural workforce in Kenya. Azuri’s CEO said the company is committed to increasing female representation, with the objective that 50% of all new hires in 2020 will be women.

“At Azuri, we are committed to equality, fairness and respect and we recognise the solar energy sector offers women a source of well-paid employment with strong opportunities for career advancement,” explained Azuri CEO Simon Bransfield-Garth.

“We understand that empowering women brings huge benefits to our business and on the social front is critical to eradicating poverty and accelerating economic development.”

Azuri’s Brighter Lives initiative includes tailored recruitment specifically targeting rural women who are largely under-represented in the workplace. The company will deliver an enriched training curriculum across its regional training centres, which offer a flexible working environment with additional guidance given on balancing work with family duties and unlocking financial services previously unavailable to them.

The British High Commissioner, Jane Marriott said, “Today’s launch of Brighter Lives Initiative is a significant step towards supporting tackle some of the barriers women face. I am confident this Initiative will light the path for many more women to step up and change Africa’s future for the better.”

New recruits will be equipped with an Azuri Smartphone to help manage and track tasks and access learning and coaching tools. Female agents will also be invited to join internal social networks where they can connect with other women to learn, share and grow in their roles and responsibilities.

Through a partnership that commenced in 2018, leading consumer goods company Unilever’s Sunlight Brand will also add a boost to this initiative and reinforce its synergy with Azuri. The two firms came together to bring solar to millions of off-grid homes across Kenya, , offering modern goods and services to enhance family life.

Justin Apsey, Unilever East Africa CEO, commented, “Unilever welcomes Azuri’s Brighter Lives Initiative as we expand our Azuri-Sunlight partnership in rolling out renewable energy and sustainable solutions that respect gender equality. By creating and supporting opportunities for women in society and the economy, there couldn’t be a better way to lead in creating a brighter future for all Kenyans as we turn the world into a more prosperous place to live for everybody.”

The Brighter Lives Initiative also boasts a Mentorship Programme that supports women in developing their leadership potential.

Azuri’s Women in Solar Event, hosted at the British High Commission in Nairobi, was attended by representatives from the off-grid solar industry  who heard from women directly benefiting from off-grid solar, be it through employment opportunities, or freedom to enjoy other activities.

Azuri has been operating in sub-Saharan Africa since 2012 and has sold more than 200,000 systems to date.

In Kenya alone, Azuri has already invested around KES 2Bn to date with access to a further KES 2Bn in debt funding.

27 February 2020: The Facility for Energy Inclusion Off-Grid Energy Access Fund (FEI-OGEF), managed by Lion’s Head Global Partners (LHGP), today announced a $10 million debt investment in d.light, a leading innovator of solar energy products.

“Last month at Davos we announced that d.light has officially impacted the lives of 100 million people. With this investment by FEI-OGEF, we will be in a position to bring reliable solar energy to millions more,” said d.light CEO Ned Tozun.

Commenting on the investment, Harry Guinness, Fund Manager for FEI-OGEF at Lion’s Head said, "d.light has built impressive PayGo SHS operations in Kenya and Uganda that leverage the firm’s diverse and high quality product line, robust supply chain infrastructure, innovative and effective retail model and best practice customer management systems. OGEF is excited to help the company scale up operations in critically underserved markets to maximise energy access impact. Our investment provides the working capital needed to scale up activities in particular in Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, and Ethiopia.”

“The majority of d.light’s customers in Africa have been able to leap-frog the grid entirely, which is particularly important as the world continues to grapple with the dangerous consequences of climate change” Tozun said. “Already d.light products have off-set the equivalent of the combined annual carbon footprints of Kenya and Uganda. We are excited to be working with investors like FEI-OGEF who realize the value and the opportunities of the solar energy market”.

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About d.light: Founded in 2006 at Stanford, d.light is a global leader in solar energy, dedicated to providing the most reliable, affordable and accessible solar lighting and power systems for people living in the developing countries. d.light currently provides distributed solar energy to households and small businesses in 70 countries and has impacted over 100 million lives. Innovative funding models have made d.light easily affordable, while sustainable designs have established confidence in the sustainability of solar energy. For further information about d.light visit www.dlight.com.

About the Off-Grid Energy Access Fund: The Facility for Energy Inclusion’s Off-Grid Energy Access Fund (FEIOGEF) offers flexible financing solutions to companies in sub-Saharan Africa that provide affordable renewable energy to communities living off the grid. The Fund invests via a range of debt instruments, including receivables lending, inventory finance, other working capital lending and unsecured corporate debt, in order to increase the availability of local currency debt and build the capacity of local capital markets. FEI-OGEF is sponsored by the African Development Bank, and received catalytic investments from the Nordic Development Fund, European Union, All On and KfW,which unlocked additional capital from public and private sector investors including the Global Environment Facility, Calvert Impact Capital and Prudential Insurance.

About Lion’s Head: Lion’s Head is a specialized investment bank based in London, Lagos, Nairobi and New York, which provides financial advisory and investment management services across a range of sectors, including agriculture, energy, financial services, and infrastructure with a focus on innovative ways to increase capital markets engagement for businesses and governments in sub-Saharan Africa. As a Fund Manager, Lion’s Head has approximately $500m AUM. In addition to the Off-Grid Energy Access Fund, Lion’s Head is the fund manager for the parallel FEI On Grid facility, offering debt on a project finance basis to developers, IPPs and other renewable energy platforms in Africa, and the African Local Currency Bond Fund, created by KfW and supported by FSDA and various DFI and private investors to anchor public debt issuances.

2 March 2020: NEoT Offgrid Africa (NOA) has closed a receivables securitization program with Zola Electricity Côte d'Ivoire (ZECI - a joint venture between EDF and Zola Electric) which aims to equip more than 100,000 households with solar home systems in Côte d'Ivoire, mainly in rural and peri-urban areas. NOA, majority-owned by Meridiam, is the first investment platform to set up a receivables securitization program in the financing of off-grid energy projects in Africa. Its objective for this deal is to reach a portfolio worth 40 million euros.

Through this innovative financing mechanism, NOA enables ZECI to focus on the commercialization and deployment of clean energy supply solutions in remote areas. With its securitization program, NOA bears financial risks related to the “rent-to-own” scheme whereby customers can become owners of the solar kits at the end of the rental period. In order to reach a mostly unbanked population, payments are made via a mobile money platform.

NOA is leading the financial structuring of the entire project. As part of this operation, NOA has mandated Crédit Agricole CIB (CACIB), Société Générale CIB and Société Générale Côte d'Ivoire (SGCI) to arrange the financing, whereby SGCI has extended a loan in local currency (XOF) whose committed amounts will vary monthly depending on the characteristics of the client portfolio. The loan is guaranteed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and CACIB, while the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation will be in charge of monitoring the social and environmental performance of the project.

Solar energy is particularly suited to the African continent, being able to operate outside the transmission and distribution grids, thus making it possible to supply isolated households as well as entire cities. In its study "The Grid won't connect Africa but solar can", the consulting firm Kleos Advisory estimates that nearly 120 million households (approx. 600 million people) on the African continent do not have access to energy. With each household spending an average of $200 per year on energy services, the market for companies offering off-grid solar solutions for individuals is estimated at $24 billion.

“NEoT Offgrid Africa is really proud to have set up this first of a kind innovative financing scheme, stated Philippe Ringenbach, managing director of NEoT Capital. Financing needs for energy access in Africa are huge, but most of the times very challenging for private investors. This deal will surely position NOA as a key player for financing SHS and other off grid solutions (such as mini grids and C&I installations), enabling to provide much more energy access to people and industries in Africa.”

“We are delivering sustainable and resilient infrastructures and especially supporting energy transition and access to energy in Africa, as illustrated by the 15 projects we are developing, financing and managing on the continent, added Mathieu Peller, Meridiam COO Africa. With this project, led by NOA, we are contributing to the emergence of alternative financing methods and innovative solutions in the African energy sector, where demand, particularly in the offgrid sector, is very high.”

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About NEoT Offgrid Africa: NEoT Offgrid Africa (NOA) is an investment platform designed to support Africa's energy transition by addressing the issues of energy access and zero-emission mobility. Founded and owned by Meridiam (as majority shareholder), EDF and Mitsubishi Corporation, NOA provides its customers with innovative financing solutions to remove barriers to upstream investment, deployment of new technologies and commercial risk management. NOA is managed by NEoT Capital, which brings together a team experienced in financial structuring and clean energy solutions, and relies on international strategic partners to provide the financial and operational support needed to develop a carbon-free world.

About Meridiam: Meridiam is currently developing and financing 15 projects in Africa. All together amounting to more than EUR 3 billion of capital expenditures. Meridiam is strategic partner of 2020 Africa France Summit to be held in Bordeaux from 4 to 6 June 2020. Meridiam was founded in 2005 by Thierry Déau, with the belief that the alignment of interests between the public and private sector can provide critical solutions to the collective needs of communities. Meridiam is an independent investment Benefit Corporation within the meaning of French law. It specializes in the development, financing, and management of long-term and sustainable public infrastructure projects and assets in the three core sectors: mobility, energy transition and social infrastructure sectors. With offices in, Addis Ababa, Amman, Dakar, Istanbul, New York, Luxembourg, Paris, Toronto and Vienna, Meridiam currently manages 7 billion Euros of assets, and more than 75 projects and assets to date. Meridiam is certified ISO 9001: 2015, ISO 26000 Advanced by VigeoEiris and operates on a proprietary methodology in relation to ESG and impact based on UNSDGs.

3 March 2020: Umeme Limited, Makerere University, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Power for All –a global charity dedicated to accelerating the end of energy poverty–and a coalition of energy companies launched an integrated energy pilot to test new ways of accelerating energy access, stimulating customer demand and improving grid performance in Uganda that will primarily benefit poor and rural areas. 

The coalition, known as Utilities 2.0, has named the pilot “Twaake” (or “Let’s light” in Luganda).

The pilot areas include Kiwumu, Nyenge and Namasumbi villages in Mukono District. The pilot will establish whether appliance financing can accelerate the productive use of electricity as well as establish whether the integration of utility operations with distributed renewable generation (DRE) can create more economically viable connections, faster.

The pilot is designed to support Uganda to achieve universal energy access before 2040. Today, one-fourth of Ugandans have energy access with poor and rural areas suffering the biggest shortages. Simultaneously, energy off-take has failed to keep pace with Uganda’s generation growth, leading to increased pressure to stimulate energy demand across the country, to ensure profitability and long-term sustainable demand growth. Based on grid economics across Africa, traditional grid extension can’t solve these pressures alone.

“Umeme is committed to exploring new ideas, approaches, and technologies that can deliver value to our customers and the public. We believe that this pilot will reveal new ways in which we can deliver on our mandate and support the government agenda of accelerating access to clean energy,” said Umeme CEO Selestino Babungi. 

“For too long centralized grid-based utilities and decentralized renewable energy companies have worked in silos,” said Power for All’s CEO Kristina Skierka. “Neither traditional utilities nor DRE providers can end energy poverty alone. By working together, we can leverage comparative strengths and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7).”

In addition to Umeme, the Utilities 2.0 Uganda pilot involves several private sector companies, including Fenix International, East African Power (EAP), Equatorial Power, EnerGrow, and NxtGrid/ZOLA Electric.

The work is being funded by The Rockefeller Foundation as part of its Power Imitative to end energy poverty.

“This pilot is an important demonstration of how utilities can integrate distributed energy technologies into their service areas,” said Clare Boland Ross, Managing Director of The Rockefeller Foundation’s Power Initiative. “We need to see more pilots like Twaake that can help other progressive governments, incumbent utilities and off-grid companies explore an integrated electrification approach, advancing a blend of grid-extension and off-grid electrification, which can help serve the needs of poor and rural areas.”

Power for All will provide regular updates on the progress of the Uganda demonstration, and also expects to expand the initiative to other countries with like-minded utilities. If you are interested in joining the Utilities 2.0 consortium, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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About Power for All: Power for All is a global coalition campaigning to accelerate the end of energy poverty by scaling distributed renewable energy solutions. The campaign represents more than 300 business, finance, and civil society organizations focused on decentralized renewables, including household and business solar, mini-grids and productive use appliances.

About Umeme: Umeme Limited is Uganda’s leading electricity Distribution Company, listed on the Uganda Securities Exchange and cross-listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. The Company operates a 20-year electricity distribution concession that started in March 2005. Umeme is mandated to operate, maintain and upgrade of electricity distribution infrastructure, electricity retail and provision of related services.

About The Rockefeller Foundation: The Rockefeller Foundation advances new frontiers of science, data, and innovation to solve global challenges related to health, food, power, and economic mobility. As a science-driven philanthropy focused on building collaborative relationships with partners and grantees, The Rockefeller Foundation seeks to inspire and foster large-scale human impact that promotes the well-being of humanity throughout the world by identifying and accelerating breakthrough solutions, ideas, and conversations.

16 March 2020: The African Development Bank, the European Commission, KfW, the Clean Technology Fund, Norfund, and other investors have committed nearly $160 million to the first close of the Facility for Energy Inclusion or FEI.

FEI is a targeted $400 million fund to improve energy access across Africa through small-scale renewable energy and mini-grid projects. Spearheaded by the African Development Bank, FEI serves as a financing platform to catalyze financial support for innovative energy access solutions. The Bank, as the Facility’s anchor sponsor, has put up $90 million in financing. That sum includes $20 million that the Bank is providing in its capacity as the implementing agency of the Clean Technology Fund.

“After three years of hard work, we are pleased to see the second and larger piece of our energy access debt funding platform — FEI — up and running on the back of very significant commitments from our partners. We look forward to seeing FEI catalyze financing for new energy sector business models and accelerate our efforts to electrify Africa,” said Wale Shonibare, African Development Bank Acting Vice-President of Power, Energy, Climate & Green Growth.

In addition to the Bank’s commitment, the European Commission committed €25 million to the Fund, the Norwegian Investment Fund — also known as Norfund — committed $23 million, and German Development Bank KfW committed €25 million. FEI will also include a $10 million Project Preparation Facility (PPF) from the Global Environment Facility that will provide reimbursable grants for transaction advisory to facilitate financial close.

“Norfund is pleased to participate in this new facility which makes debt financing available to smaller scale renewable power projects in Africa. We anticipate that the facility will be successful in attracting private capital to this segment of the market”, says Mark Davis, Executive Vice President, Clean Energy at Norfund.

“With our investment in this flagship fund, KfW on behalf of the German Government emphasizes its commitment to work with other development finance institutions to improve access to clean energy in Africa. Our junior equity investment aims at mobilizing public equity and private debt investors to scale up the financial means available for innovative renewable energy projects like new mini-grids to electrify Africa” said Babette Stein von Kamienski, Head of Division Infrastructure, Southern Africa at KfW.

The Facility supports small-scale Independent Power Producers (IPPs) delivering power to the grid, mini-grids and captive power projects. Projects in sub-Saharan African countries where electricity access rates are comparatively lower receive priority. Other eligibility criteria include the requirement to use renewable energy technology, to have capital expenditure of less than $30 million and generation capacity below 25MW. Initial pipeline projects have been identified in Burundi, Cape Verde, Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique.

FEI is managed by LHGP Asset Management, part of Lion’s Head Group, a fund manager focused on bringing innovative financial solutions to emerging markets and selected through an international competitive process. “As Fund Manager, we are excited that the limited partners have given us a flexible mandate to provide tailored financing solutions to this exciting industry which has the potential to make green growth a reality in Africa. By focusing on smaller renewable energy producers, FEI will contribute to the electrification of Africa, in particular in more remote and traditionally neglected parts of the continent,” says Clemens Calice, Co-CEO of LHGP Asset Management, the Fund Manager of FEI.

The Facility’s first close was reached on 3 December 2019.

17 March 2020: The African Development Bank and the Government of Nigeria have launched the National Electrification Project (NEP), to address critical energy access deficits by channeling private sector investments into mini grid and off-grid solutions.

The project, which will be implemented by Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency, is a boost to efforts to achieve the target of universal energy access by 2030.

Joint financing of $200 million from the Bank and Africa Growing Together Fund (AGTF) will de-risk and scale-up private sector investment in the off-grid sector, nurturing a business ecosystem conducive to the rapid electrification of Nigeria’s off-grid communities.   

Speaking at the launch held Tuesday, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Power, Mr. Goddy Jedy Agba, thanked the African Development Bank for investing in the project, and highlighted its transformative potential.

“Imagine the impact a project like the NEP will have when it is replicated across rural communities in the country,” he said.

The Bank’s Acting Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate Change and Green Growth, Wale Shonibare, outlined the expected development outcomes of the project.

“Over 500,000 people will have access to approximately 76.5 MW of increased installed power of which 68 MW will be solar generated,” he said.

Eight universities will have access to reliable energy, he added, and 150 female students will receive training on renewable energy solutions. In addition, 20,000 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) will be supplied with appliances and equipment.

Ebrima Faal, Senior Director for the African Development Bank in Nigeria, said the NEP and other Bank-supported energy projects had been carefully designed to ensure that Nigerians have better access to reliable, affordable and safe power.

The NEP is aligned with the African Development Bank’s New Deal on Energy for Africa, the High 5 priorities and the Bank’s Climate Change Action Plan. The project is also aligned with the Federal Government of Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Strategy and Implementation Plan (RESIP) and the Power Sector Recovery Programme, which has the objective of increasing private investments in the energy sector.

18 March 2020: Tembo Power has signed a Joint Development Agreement with Metier, an independently owned private equity fund manager, for its Kaptis project, a 14.7 MW run of river hydropower project in Kenya, together with its partner WK Construction, a leading contractor in the field of hydropower in sub-Saharan Africa. This agreement now allows the partners to appoint lenders and prepare for financial closing, expected this year, and to start construction.

“Tembo Power is delighted to partner with Metier, a reputable and experienced infrastructure fund manager in Sub-Saharan Africa, supported by the main development finance institutions active in the renewable energy field. Such agreement demonstrates the thoroughness of Tembo Power’s development approach, its compliance with the most stringent international standards, and paves the way for extended collaboration with Metier and other key players in the industry.” – Raphael Khalifa, Founder, Tembo Power.

Tembo Power started the development of Kaptis (14.7 MW), in Western Kenya, in 2013 after its Kenyan partner Humphrey Mulindi identified the site and conducted preliminary investigations to assess its actual potential. Since then, the company has expanded its Kenyan portfolio with additional 17 MW, 17 MW and 24 MW hydropower projects, that are currently in development, in order to bring sustainable hydropower to Western Kenya, currently fed by power imports from Uganda, and diesel power generation. The project has been developed jointly by Tembo Power and WK Power, the investment arm of WK Construction, a leading pipeline and water works contractor in South Africa.

Metier has demonstrated success in private equity, alternative assets and related advisory services, with specific experience in the renewable power and infrastructure sectors in sub-Saharan Africa. The project will form part of the Metier Sustainable Capital International Fund II, which recently achieved a first close of USD113m. Metier has committed to provide financial support prior to actual financial closing of the project as well as to subscribe to a 40% stake in the project. WK Power will hold 20%, while Tembo Power shall retain 40%. Equity has been fully secured and development financeinstitutions are being appointed for senior debt. WK Construction will be the preferred EPC contractor for the Kaptis project. Tembo Power will benefit from the already existing relationship between Metier and WK Construction, which successfully constructed and commissioned the 5.25 MW Sindila hydropower project in Uganda last year.

“The signature of the JDA marks the next positive step in our relationship with Tembo Power. We are excited about the prospects of the Kaptis project as well as the broader Tembo Power portfolio which fits in well with the fund’s strategic focus on small to medium scale renewable energy projects across the continent and we are looking forward to making an investment into the Kenyan energy sector and delivering clean energy in support of the Kenya Power and Lighting Company’s power supply objectives.” - Michael Goldblatt, Principal, Metier Sustainable Capital International Fund II.

Tembo Power’s objective is to develop, finance and operate power generation assets in sub-Saharan Africa, and is currently raising $100 million for its first batch of projects totaling 187MW across Kenya, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Run of river hydropower is the one of the most environmentally friendly energy technologies globally. Projects between 10MW and 50MW offer inexpensive and reliable electricity in areas where the national electrical utilities need it most.

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3 April 2020: Azuri Technologies is helping to off-grid children across Kenya to continue education while schools remain closed.

Kenyan schools have been shut down as a measure to contain spread of the Coronavirus. With more than 15 million primary and secondary students at home, the Ministry of Education announced it would broadcast lessons up to eight hours daily through dedicated radio and television channels.

Azuri solar-powered satellite TV is helping rural children across the country to access the new education channels and ensures they are equally benefiting from the national initiative as fellow students in urban areas, connected by the grid.

Thanks to off-grid systems like AzuriTV, rural households can access Edu TV Channel 029 featuring daily lessons including English, Kiswahili, Maths and Science, along with hygiene and nutrition lessons being broadcast to help inform students and families on best practice to help defeat the spread of Coronavirus.

“Azuri is committed to supporting off-grid households through this challenging time and we want to do all we can to ensure that children in rural Kenya are not left behind in terms of learning progress due to the crisis facing the nation and the world,” said Azuri CEO Simon Bransfield-Garth.

Azuri-powered off-grid households can also access learning via Radio Taifa, with lessons broadcast throughout the day, Monday to Friday.

“The children miss their friends and being at school, but thanks goodness they can continue with their education from home. Thankfully we have Azuri solar TV and they can watch and learn the same as if they were at school,” said Hellen Awour, mother of 4 from Ngunya, Siaya, Kenya.

Rose Adeny, from Kolwenge, Siaya in Kenya, who has 3 school children at home added: “Because we have Azuri solar at home, we are able to listen and stay up to date with the news and government information being shared, but just as important, the children can continue their studies and not be left behind.”

Azuri has been operating in sub-Saharan Africa since 2012 with presence in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Nigeria.

Azuri has coupled off-grid solar with energy-efficient smart TVs, rechargeable radios, satellite entertainment, and a range of other appliances and services to bring modern digital technology to off-grid households.

6 April 2020: Aksa Energy, a Turkey-based Independent Power Producer (IPP) operating in 5 countries across 2 continents, has donated 2.5 million Ghanian Cedis to the COVID-19 National Trust Fund created by the Office of the Presidency of Ghana to fight against COVID-19. The Company has been producing electricity for Ghana since 2017.

A special ceremony was held on April 6 at the Office of Presidency (Jubilee House) for the donation. Aksa Energy West Africa Coordination Director Murat Captug and the Turkish Ambassador to Ghana Ozlem Gulsun Ergun Ulueren were hosted by Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, Chief of Staff of Ghana. At the ceremony, Murat Captug presented Akosua Frema Osei-Opare a donation cheque of GHS 2.5 million on behalf of Aksa Energy.

Speaking of the donation Murat Captug, West Africa Coordination Director of Aksa Energy said: "As a global company operating in 5 countries across 2 countries, we are committed to increasing the welfare and life quality of local communities in the regions where we operate, both by meeting their urgent demand for electricity and through social support programmes. Today the whole world is struggling with COVID-19. As Aksa Energy Ghana, we are aware of our responsibilities to Ghana, and therefore we are very pleased to make a donation to the fund to support the Ghanaian government in its fight against COVID-19. We hope life returns to normal for the whole world soon. Aksa Energy will continue to work, produce and build a better future together with Ghanaians."

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About Aksa Energy: Established in 1997, Aksa Energy is a subsidiary of Kazanci Holding A.S., a conglomerate with interests in electricity generation, gen-set production, electricity distribution, natural gas distribution, agriculture, and tourism.

Headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey; Aksa Energy is a publicly-listed Independent Power Producer (IPP) operating across 5 countries on 2 continents. To date, the Company has built and operated more than 30 power plants using various energy sources such as coal, fuel oil, natural gas, biogas, wind and hydroelectricity.

Aksa Energy carries out project development, design, procurement, engineering, logistics, installation, commissioning, maintenance and operation activities of all its power plants with its in-house teams.

Aksa Energy builds and operates power plants in energy-strapped territories in order to meet the urgent demand for electricity. In addition to its power plants in Turkey and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus; Aksa Energy boasts nearly 500 MW of installed capacity in Africa with a 370-MW power plant in Ghana, 40 MW in Mali and 66 MW in Madagascar. Aksa Energy has also rehabilitated a 24-MW power plant in Madagascar and operates it under an Operation & Maintenance contract for the country.

Aksa Energy commissioned its power plant in Ghana in March 2017 after a speedy construction phase of only 9 months, and engine conversion to dual fuel (HFO/natural gas) at the Plant is underway.

6 April 2020: Swiss impact asset manager responsAbility Investments and EDFI ElectriFI today announced their cooperation in the field of climate finance in emerging economies. Under the agreement, EDFI ElectriFI is providing additional first-loss capital for a responsAbility-managed energy debt fund targeting universal access to clean power. By further strengthening the Fund’s capital structure, responsAbility aims to mobilize additional private capital in line with SDG7.

The recently launched USD 200 m private debt fund addresses the lack of access to clean power globally with a strong focus on Sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia. Incorporated in Luxembourg as a 10-year closed-ended structure, the blended finance vehicle targets companies that provide solutions to households without access to electricity and to businesses looking for cleaner, cheaper and more-reliable energy. Over the lifetime of the Fund, portfolio companies are expected to provide clean power to more than 150 m people, add 2,000 MW of clean energy generation capacity and reduce CO2 emissions by 6 m tonnes.

EDFI ElectriFI joins reputable public and private investors who have helped launch the Fund. By strengthening the first-loss tranche of the blended finance structure, it aims to leverage public funding to attract additional private sector capital for this important investment theme which supports the Sustainable Development Goal 7: ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

Antoine Prédour, Head of responsAbility’s Climate Finance Initiatives, explained: “With the current pandemia threatening capital flows into emerging markets, it is more important than ever to raise capital and bridge the financing gap towards universal access to clean energy. Having launched the first investment fund of this scope to address both the home solar and the commercial and industrial (C&I) solar sectors, we are excited to receive the support from EDFI ElectriFI which will help us to further develop this high-impact investment universe.”

Speaking on behalf of EDFI ElectriFI, Senior Investment Officer Lionel Dieu said: “With a previous private debt fund targeting access to clean power at the origin of this new Fund, responsAbility has clearly established itself as a leading private investor in the field of energy access. The ElectriFI junior instrument unlocks more DFI funding in more senior tranches and de-risks other investors’ financing, allowing the company to extend financing to the Commercial & Industrial (C&I) and Solar Homes Systems’ sector.” Jean-Denis Collin, Regional Manager, EDFI ElectriFI, added: “With this concrete commitment, ElectriFI is strengthening the partnership with responsAbility and looks forward to exploring co-investment opportunities in the future.”

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About responsAbility Investments: A leading impact asset manager with a 17-year track record, responsAbility manages USD 3.5 bn of assets invested in 450 fully ESG-managed high-impact companies across 90 emerging economies. Since the company's inception in 2003, responsAbility-managed funds have disbursed USD 10 bn in private debt and private equity to companies in the sectors of climate finance, sustainable food and financial inclusion whose business models directly support the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

About EDFI ElectriFI: EDFI ElectriFI is an impact-first investment facility, investing in early stage private companies and projects that increase or improve access to and supply of sustainable energy in developing countries. ElectriFI is funded by the EU, Power Africa, and Sweden and combines a global facility as well as five Country Windows established in closed collaboration with EU delegations and with the support of national governments.

8 April 2020: REDAVIA, a global market leader of cost-effective, reliable, and clean solar power for businesses, has created a new concessionary solar power program, the COVID-19 Resilience Lease, in order to stand by Ghanaian and Kenyan businesses in this difficult time of economic uncertainty. 

COVID-19 has disrupted African businesses significantly. In this challenging time, REDAVIA enables sound businesses to reduce their operating costs with a free solar plant leasing service. REDAVIA has introduced the COVID-19 Resilience Lease, which provides solar power plants to business customers for six months, completely for free.

After these six months, customers can choose to roll-over this Lease into a regular REDAVIA solar plant lease or request REDAVIA to re-deploy the plant. This offer is available to selected long-term sustainable Ghanaian and Kenyan companies on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last.

Mankoadze Fisheries Limited in Tema, Ghana, was first to sign on to the REDAVIA COVID-19 Resilience Lease. Godfried Kwame Anafi, Director of Mankoadze Fisheries Limited (MFL), is eager to see the restart of his company’s cold store and resumption of service to the corporate and independent fishing customers as soon as possible. REDAVIA will lease MFL the solar plant six months for free, so MFL’s system-critical business gets through the crisis successfully.

The Royal Senchi Hotel & Resort has also joined this unique REDAVIA program. The hotel has been especially hard hit by the pandemic and saw its occupancy rates drop precipitously. Big losses in revenue made lowering utility costs a top priority for hotel management. Gerard Schraven, General Manager, said, “REDAVIA’s solar plant will enable us to keep our energy cost as low as possible when the hotel re-opens after this global health crisis.”

Erwin Spolders, CEO & founder of REDAVIA, confirmed, “REDAVIA understands the economic implications of this pandemic, and we pledge to be a true friend to our business partners in this time of need.”

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About The Royal Senchi Hotel and Resort: The Royal Senchi Hotel and Resort is the first 4-star luxury resort in Ghana. It stands on 35 acres of lush greenery with a magnificent view of the Volta River. It offers a unique blend of fauna, flora, traditional architecture, and modernity of the highest standards.

About Mankoadze Fisheries Limited: Mankoadze Fisheries Ltd. is a Ghanaian-owned business. The company owns and operates, among others, a 3000 tonne cold storage facility off Harbor Road in Tema. It provides cold-storage services to the Tema-based fishing fleet and to corporate fish importers and canneries. As such, Mankoadze is a system-critical link in the fish cold-chain to Ghanaian and West-African consumers.

About REDAVIA: REDAVIA offers solar power for businesses in sub-Saharan Africa. The REDAVIA system is based on a pre-configured model, including high-performance solar modules and electrical components. It is easy to ship, set up, scale, and redeploy. Businesses benefit from a cost-effective, reliable, clean energy solution with minimal upfront investment.

21 April 2020: Leading off-grid utilities provider, Winch Energy, has unveiled the Winch Clinic, a mobile health facility fully powered by renewable energy. The new clinic has been designed to overcome the barriers of time, affordability and reliability, which can prevent vulnerable populations across the developing world from accessing healthcare.

Quick to install in a matter of weeks, the modular building provides healthcare to urban, rural and remote communities. The 20-40 foot containers can be configured to include four or eight full-service rooms and easily expanded as demand increases. Depending on requirements, the rooms can be arranged to serve as a dispensary, consulting room, surgery room, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), examination room or an office for doctors and other healthcare professionals. 

Unreliable electricity access leads to the spoiling of medicine and vaccines as well as the inability to use equipment and interruptions to medical procedures. The Winch Clinic uses, as its base, the Winch Remote Power Unit (“RPU”), which have been successfully deployed in five African countries and operating for over four years. The units have an average design life of 35 years and are successfully and reliably operating in the most remote and harsh environments in Africa.  

Equipped with photovoltaic (PV) solar panels and an integrated battery generator, the Winch Clinic is able to run 24/7, supporting air conditioning, ventilation and air filtering, lighting, and water pumping and purification facilities, which are essential for hygiene, as well as ventilators and other specialist devices. A number of power supply options are available, ensuring the Clinic can also power medical equipment and other appliances, VSAT Internet connections, a drone charging platform for the delivery of supplies, and, if necessary, lodgings for medical and administrative staff required to provide care to patients.

The Winch Clinic can be a permanent fixture but also serve temporary communities or support existing healthcare facilities in times of increased demand as it can swiftly be deployed and redeployed as needed. 

For Government Buyers, long term and affordable export credit facilities are available for all Winch Energy products. Long term financing with repayment periods of up to 18 years are achievable, with fixed rate funding that is lower than can be obtained from the commercial bank market.  

Nicholas Wrigley, CEO of Winch Energy Limited, commented: “Healthcare is fundamental for the communities to develop and thrive, yet too often people are unable to access the services they need due to lack of infrastructure. We have designed the Winch Clinic to be self-contained, cost-effective and powered by clean, renewable energy so it can be swiftly installed exactly where people have the greatest need – particularly important for developing communities in Africa, Asia, Latin and South America.

“The recent COVID-19 pandemic has only further highlighted the importance of providing healthcare facilities that can reliably run day and night to treat patients and prevent the spread of disease. We are pleased that we have been able to bring forward the launch of the Winch Clinic and introduce it at a time when governments and health organisations are calling for clinics that can quickly be deployed and adapted for testing and treatment in response to the virus.”

24 April 2020: Blockpass has formed an alliance with Liquidstar, “the Uber for Electricity”, to provide digital identity solutions for off-grid energy provision in developing countries, with initial focus on COVID-19 relief in Nigeria and other pilots in Africa.

Liquidstar has developed a Decentralized Autonomous Utility (DAU) management system utilizing Waypoints, container-housed charging stations, that deploy smart batteries for off-grid electricity provision. From the source-agnostic Waypoints, service providers branded as ‘Power Rangers’ manage the rental and deployment of blockchain-enabled batteries to shared mobility and delivery services, homes and offices. Power Rangers are local businesses or entrepreneurs who recharge, deliver and pick up batteries, as well as handle payment administration.

Blockpass’ digital identity SaaS, KYC ConnectTM, is a core element of Liquidstar’s DAU management stack, providing digital identity profiles for members of the DAU ecosystem. The partnership in the energy sector is a testament to Blockpass’ ability to provide KYC, AML and digital identity solutions to a range of businesses and organizations that need digital verification of trust in an increasingly remote world of COVID-19. Through the Blockpass identity app, end-users have control of their identity, easily create a verified portable identity and reuse it to onboard with any service instantly.

“Blockpass plays a critical role in Liquidstar, enabling the first physical world implementation of end to end Human+Company+Device identity to power Liquidstar’s Decentralized Autonomous Utility platform, ” noted Conor Colwell, Co-Founder of Liquidstar.

Blockpass CEO and Co-Founder Adam Vaziri added, “We are excited about being involved in enabling Liquidstar’s decentralized utility management platform to verify the identities of off-grid ecosystem participants. In an increasingly remote world, there is a strong need to establish trust via reusable and verifiable digital identity.’

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Blockpass and Liquidstar are working with Vista Advisory Partners, Feed the Streets Lagos, Afara Group, Ample and GCIF to provide masks, food, water, and sustainably generated power to those who need it the most. Funds, which can be donated via a project GoFundMe page, will also go towards inventory management, transportation of those goods, proper protection for those delivering the goods, and platform costs.

Liquidstar also starts a funding round April 25th through equity crowdfunding platform Birchal, and is accepting expressions of interests on its fundraising page.

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About Liquidstar: Liquidstar offers a new category of energy distribution, utilizing Waypoint charge stations to deploy smart batteries for beyond-the-grid electrical power distribution. Liquidstar’s vision is to leapfrog off-grid markets to the ‘wireless’ battery powered sustainable ecosystems of the future – solving energy access challenges for the powerless 1.1 billion and providing electricity for essential services during grid destroying disasters. The core Liquidstar software platform strings together various innovation layers provided by expert partners to manage the delivery of source-agnostic electricity through Power Ranger operators. Liquidstar has active pilots in Nigeria and Benin, with Indonesia, Australia, Lebanon, and others in development.

About Blockpass: Blockpass is a unique, reusable digital identity (DID) solution for any organizations that participate in regulated industries and in the increasingly remote business environment where trust needs to be verified digitally. Blockpass offers an alternative process to cumbersome, repetitive and expensive Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) checks through a seamless merchant dashboard that is setup immediately with pay-as-you-go and no initial fee. Blockpass’ KYC ConnectTM platform enables businesses to select requirements for customer onboarding that can include ID authentication, face-matching, address checking, AML ongoing monitoring and/or screening of sanctions lists, politically exposed persons (PEP), and adverse media. Through Blockpass, end-users easily create a verified portable identity that they can control and re-use to onboard with any service instantly.

28 April 2020: RMI’s latest report highlights the importance of rural electrification as Ethiopia experiences threats to its economy and food security from locust infestations and cases of COVID-19.

Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) today (28 April 2020) launched a new report that shows how electricity can unlock billions of dollars in new value across six agricultural processing or small business opportunities in some of Ethiopia’s most important crops, while saving money for farmers who switch to electricity from expensive alternatives such as diesel.

In collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); the Ethiopian Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy (MoWIE); and Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), RMI’s Capturing the Productive Use Dividend: Valuing the Synergies between Rural Electrification and Smallholder Agriculture in Ethiopia report outlines the synergies between rural electrification and agricultural productivity, processing and businesses, and the value that can flow from closely linking the two. By mapping key value chains and opportunities, this report demonstrates the economic case for a national program to promote the productive uses of electricity.

“There is a huge opportunity for Ethiopia to capture an economic dividend and accelerate progress toward national development goals, capturing the benefits of electrification for rural smallholders,” said Francis Elisha, principal at Rocky Mountain Institute.

In the midst of current widespread global economic disruptions caused by COVID-19, compounded by the mounting threat of desert locust infestations, Ethiopia faces numerous threats to national food security including disrupted trade and import channels, food price spikes, water supply risks, and delayed or compromised harvest yields. Ongoing efforts to transform the agriculture sector in Ethiopia therefore continue to be critical.

RMI’s research explores the opportunity for mutually assured success among agricultural transformation and rural electrification efforts. These solutions can be deployed in rural areas on and off grid, thereby creating millions of dollars in new revenue for the utility, helping defray the costs of rural electrification and reducing the subsidy needs for minigrids.

The report outlines value streams for different actors in the productive use space:

• Rural smallholders can use electricity to unlock or accelerate revenue streams from agricultural productivity and processing worth $4 billion by 2025.
• Making the switch to electricity saves communities another $120 million in fuel costs, while unlocking an annual revenue stream of $22 million for the utility.
• Providing the appliances for this market is a $380 million business opportunity for local manufacturers, importers and distributors.

“In agriculture, electricity can unleash higher farm income and productivity by enabling irrigation, cold storage and post-harvest processing and handling. Thus, it is time for Ethiopia to invest in electrifying farms, in addition to lighting residences, through electric motor pumps and storage facilities with innovative financing mechanisms such as pay-as-you-use and pay-as-you-store options,” said Dawit Mekonnen, research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Working alongside electrification efforts, a national productive use program could offer huge benefits and position Ethiopia as a leader in the sector, setting a model that other countries will no doubt follow.

To download the report, visit http://rmi.org/insight/ethiopia-productive-use

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About Rocky Mountain Institute: Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)—an independent nonprofit founded in 1982—transforms global energy use to create a clean, prosperous, and secure low-carbon future. It engages businesses, communities, institutions, and entrepreneurs to accelerate the adoption of market-based solutions that cost-effectively shift from fossil fuels to efficiency and renewables. RMI has offices in Basalt and Boulder, Colorado; New York City; the San Francisco Bay Area; Washington, D.C.; and Beijing.

About The International Food Policy Research Institute: The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks sustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty. IFPRI was established in 1975 to identify and analyze alternative national and international strategies and policies for meeting the food needs of the developing world, with particular emphasis on low-income countries and on the poorer groups in those countries.

1 May 2020: The government of Zambia has plans for an energy surplus over the next two years. To meet this goal, it is exploring renewable energy, such as solar power.

Zambia’s constant power cuts are now a thing of the past. Thanks to a robust hydraulic and solar power generation industry in recent years, the country is now self-sufficient in energy.  And, there is even better news for citizens of the South African nation- electricity production could soon be in surplus.

Zambia generates practically all its energy production from its own primary resources: biomass, coal and hydroelectricity, with flagship plants such as the power station near the Itezhi-Tezhi Dam, in the south-east of the country, taking center stage.

The $375 million Itezhi-Tezhi hydroelectric generating station became operational in 2016. The plant has a 120MW capacity and is the fruit of the first public-private partnership project in the Zambian energy sector. Its primary objective has been to produce enough power to end the crippling daily blackouts and meet consumer needs of the country’s 17 million inhabitants.

Zambia stopped electricity imports in early 2018

Itezhi-Tezhi power plant has already increased the country’s power generation capacity by 7.5% and supplied an extra 50,000 people with electricity. In the first quarter of 2018, and for the first time in its history, Zambia stopped importing electricity from neighboring countries such as Mozambique.

As far back as September 2017, national operator ZESCO’s head of power transmission, Webster Musonda, told Ecofin agency: “Zambia’s power generation capacity has improved and will now be able to largely meet its energy needs.” “Overall, we will be able to meet demand and routine energy imports will cease […] but we will continue to import energy to meet occasional peaks in demand.”

The country’s new hydropower stations at the Musonda, Lusawaki and Kafue Gorge dams are important developments and in September 2018 the government inaugurated a 50 MW power plant at a cost of $60 million. An even more ambitious programme is underway, involving the construction of mini solar plants with an eventual overall capacity of 600MW at an estimated cost of $1.2 billion.

The African Development Bank which is championing its High 5 development priorities, such as the “Light up and power Africa, initiative under which this project falls, contributed $55 million to the Itezhi-Tezhi plant.  Additional funding has been provided by international donors including the Netherlands Development Finance Company, the Development Bank of South Africa and Proparco France.

The Bank’s portfolio in Zambia currently includes 23 ongoing projects, amounting to an investment of one billion dollars, in three main sectors: transport, water and sanitation and agriculture.

Cross-border collaboration

A strong partnership with Zimbabwe has been the key to Zambia’s success. The two southern African neighbors are working on a major energy project on the Zambezi River, which marks their common border. The 2750 km long river is the fourth-largest on the continent.

The project, which has a projected output of at least 2400 MW, is to be built upstream of the Kariba dam, close to the famous Victoria Falls, at a cost of $3 billion.

Electricity output will be shared equally between Zambia and Zimbabwe, with excess production sold on to other member countries of the Southern African Development Community (SACD), according to the project’s initiators.

4 May 2020: The World Bank Group and the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF), based at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School, have published a joint report that examines a wide range of financing solutions for delivering Off Grid Solar (OGS) electricity to more than 840 million people still living without access to reliable power.

The report, Funding the Sun – New Paradigms for Financing Off-Grid Solar Companies, explores an array of innovative as well as traditional financing solutions for providing electricity access to hundreds of millions of people, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa. It also offers guidance for companies seeking to deploy their OGS solutions by outlining which financing option best suits their specific approach, the preconditions for each financing option, and the associated opportunities and challenges.

The recent Off-Grid Solar Market Trends Report 2020 by the World Bank Group and GOGLA (the OGS industry association) highlighted that, in order to achieve universal access to electricity by 2030, the OGS sector would need between $6.6 billion and $11 billion in additional funding.

“In the midst of challenging times, traditional financing channels can no longer suffice for covering the needs of the OGS market. This report presents a wide range of alternative technology-enabled funding options that can help companies not only survive in this new reality, but also thrive and catalyze universal access to electricity,” says Rohit Khanna, Manager of the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) at the World Bank.

The report takes a holistic view of the suite of 17 financing instruments that could be applied to the OGS sector across four core areas: benefits, challenges, necessary market conditions, and policy/regulatory considerations. It provides a comprehensive review of established financing instruments such as grants, venture debt, securitization, convertible notes, mezzanine debt, and development impact bonds, as well as more innovative ways of raising finance such as reward- and equity-based crowdfunding, peer-to-peer lending, online debt-based securities, and government-issued mobile bond.

The study then considers how an array of ‘catalytic tools’ such as match funding, first-loss guarantee, tax incentives, and collateral buy-back facilities can further catalyze funding for the OGS sector. Finally, the report explores how blockchain technology and tokenization might contribute to the emergence of distributed ledger technology based OGS financing ecosystems.

“This report elucidates the potential role of financial innovation in widening energy access and achieving sustainability,” says Bryan Zhang, Executive Director, CCAF. “It also provides a practical roadmap and an array of options for entrepreneurs, firms and financiers navigating capital raises for off-grid solar in a testing and increasingly complex environment.”

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About the CCAF: The Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) is an international interdisciplinary academic research institute dedicated to the study of alternative finance, which includes financial channels and instruments that emerge outside of the traditional financial system (i.e. regulated banks and capital markets). Examples of alternative channels are online 'marketplaces'​ such as equity- and reward-based crowdfunding, peer-to-peer consumer/business lending, and third-party payment platforms. Alternative instruments include SME mini-bonds, private placements and other 'shadow banking'​ mechanisms, social impact bonds and community shares used by non-profit enterprises, and alternative currencies such as Bitcoin.